El Tropicano ending its El Trop card program

The popularity of El Tropicano Hotel’s El Trop card, a free program intended to entice downtown residents/workers to the hotel, caught fire at the beginning of summer to the point the hotel has decided to discontinue it. Apparently, the pool would regularly become overcrowded with downtowners and actual hotel guests couldn’t fully enjoy it.

The program is ending Labor Day weekend.

“We had a lot of people sign up over the summer season because of access to the pool,” said Anthony Valdez, an assistant in the hotel’s sales office.

About three months ago, the pool underwent renovations, including repainting and opening it up more by removing the gates around it.

Valdez said the hotel is looking to revise the program, but doesn’t know what the new set of perks will be, or when it will kick in, or if it will even be targeted to downtowners.

You can still receive those perks by becoming a member of the hotel’s STRIVE Fitness Studio membership, which is about $50 a month, or $80 for two people. This membership does grant access to the pool, as well as lunch specials, a free cup of coffee in the morning, and a free room upgrade.

Requiring no membership whatsoever is the hotel’s happy hour specials at the Tiki Bar, which run 5-7:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The specials includes free hors d’oeuvres Thursdays.